Professional paper

Survival of Acinetobacter baumannii in different water types

Svjetlana Dekić ; Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Department of Biology, Zagreb, Croatia
Jasna Hrenović ; Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Department of Biology, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen which causes infections in immunosuppressed patients. Considering insufficient data on the survival success rate of this pathogen in the natural environment, the purpose of this paper was to determine the A. baumannii survival rate in different water types. Three A. baumannii isolates with multiple antibiotic resistance multiply were inoculated in spring water, sea water and wastewater treatment plant effluent and incubated on 20°C in the period of 50 days. The number of viable A. baumannii in spring water was constant, with a survival rate of 92% after 50 days. In sea water, there was a recorded decrease of the bacterial numbers with a survival rate of 67% after 50 days. The bacteria in the effluent multiplied, and the number of A. baumannii was higher than the initial number even after 50 days of monitoring. The multiplication of bacteria and improved survival of A. baumannii in the effluent in comparison to spring or sea water is attributed to higher nutrient availability. A. baumannii with multiple antibiotic resistance can survive in different aquatic environments for a longer time period, which provides an opportunity for its spreading through water into the natural environment.

Keywords

Acinetobacter baumannii; survival; spring water; sea water; effluent

Hrčak ID:

197081

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/197081

Publication date:

19.3.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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